STEM Girls remains one of the most popular Makerspace weekly groups run by Paisley YMCA. Taking place every Wednesday evening, STEM Girls offers a space for girls aged 8 – 17 to come together, test their knowledge, engage in exciting new projects and hang out with their friends.
Each week invites new discussions and revelations as our participants discuss the world of STEM, their feelings around society and many fascinating anecdotes that showcase just how talented and creative our young people are. The girls are also invited to have their knowledge tested every week with some brain-teasing quizzes and tests to their science skills.
Of all of the Makerspace groups run by Paisley YMCA, STEM Girls is a passion project from Youth Programme Coordinator Claire McGinley, who elaborates about what makes the group so near and dear to her heart:
“It’s a space that I really wish I had when I was younger. It’s a space I wish I had been a part of. It’s a safe space for girls and young women to just explore stem with no judgement. And we encourage making mistakes.
“Creating a space specific for young women and girls is always successful to their development and their confidence and success of building upon their skills. That’s backed up by lots of independent research.”
In spite of the success of the other Paisley YMCA weekly run groups, Claire felt that the girls in particular needed a space to grow and express themselves through STEM:
“Initially all our clubs were really successful but 80% of them were boys and I could see the potential in some of the young girls and they were getting swallowed up, so we thought we needed to create a space for them specifically to flourish.”
We have many more exciting projects planned for STEM Girls in the future and we always aim to make it as fun as it is informative and educational for our enthusiastic attendees. Keep your eyes on STEM Girls in the future, as we’re excited for what the future holds!
For more information about STEM Girls and how to get your Wednesday evening tickets, please check the Paisley YMCA Makerspace List.